Spark Shock
by euphoniumgirl02
Summary: A rewrite of "We Are Not Alone" It all started with a Jeep. This messy world that Jennie had come to live in. She would have never known about the giant metal beings hiding on a base in Diego Garcia. She would have never known fear, or passion, or hate. She would have never lived. Eventual IronhidexOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! I'm so glad to be writing again! Originally, this story was "We Are Not Alone" on my account Aiden'sxThexName. Unfortunately, I lost the info to get into that. I was planning to rewrite the story anyway, so I figured now is a good a time as any. The rewrite is going to be a little darker and a lot more detailed. Hope everyone likes it! **

**As always, reviews are a lovely thing!**

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**Spark Shock**

**Chapter 1**

**It all Started With a Jeep**

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It all started with a Jeep. This messy world that Jennie had come to live in. If she had never picked out that jeep, she would have never found out about an alien war going on under the publics nose. She would have never known about the giant metal beings hiding on a base in Diego Garcia. She would have never known fear, or passion, or hate.

She would have never truly lived

Jennie was 21 when she first met Nightstrike. She had saved for almost a year to pick out a car she could call a "project." She wasn't much of a grease monkey, but being able to fix your own vehicle was a skill her father pushed for her to have. So instead of buying a new car when her last one was beyond repair, Jennie picked out a junker. The house she rented out on the back of a large property was within walking distance of where she worked, and if she wanted to go out anywhere, a friend was always willing to do the driving.

She shopped around for awhile, going from junkyard to junkyard. Until one day she found him; a 1991 Jeep Cherokee. He was pathetic looking, painted an ugly shade of burgundy that must have looked nice before the clear-coat had worn off. Every tire had a different rim and all of them were deflated. Whatever happened to this poor thing, it must have been bad. She paid the owner $300 for the body and for the towing service to drop it off at her home.

He arrived that night and Jennie couldn't wait to get up the next day to start working on him. She worked that whole week, only having to call her father a few times for help. On the third day of the second week, Jennie was stumped. She was hung over the engine, dripping grease-mixed sweat onto the frame. The engine was untouched. In fact, it looked more like a high-performance engine than the bulky V-8 this model was supposed to sport.

"Somebody must have put some work into you, big boy." She jokingly said out loud, tapping the engine with a pink-handled wrench. The jeep gave a violent shake, throwing her back. It shook again, this time making a noise that Jennie swore sounded like a _cough_. On the last shake the Jeep began to change, pieces crunching and sliding into place in different areas until it became a towering metal man. It tossed its head once, then twice before pressing what could only be its hand to its forehead. Then slowly, it turned glowing red eyes on her.

"Christ," Jennie breathed, falling back to sit in the tall grass. "I bought a fucking robot."

The "robot's" eyes widened, then narrowed. "Sentient mechanical being would be the proper terminology."

Was the robot..._mocking _her?

"You're hurt." Jennie said, not knowing exactly how to approach the situation. Slowly, she stood up from the grass and walked toward the _sentient mechanical being_ as she would a wounded animal. "I'm not a master mechanic, but I can help you. I'm Jennie."

"Nightstrike." The metal man said at length. He looked...confused. As if it was a difficult question to answer. He knelt down and examined the little woman who stood before him. Little was the best word. She stood at just 5 foot, with a few extra pounds lingering on her thighs and belly. Her eyes were an odd color; deep green with a blue outer ring and flecks of brown throughout. Her lips were full and sat naturally in a pout. Her nose was almost to big for her face. On top of her head sat a large bun of auburn curls. If it was anyone else, her features would look odd. But on Jennie, they worked.

Nightstrike rubbed his helm. "What planet is this?"

"Ummm….Earth?" Jennie was confused. Now he was an alien robot. _Great._

They began to talk, the oddness of the situation not phasing Jennie. This mechanical man didn't seem to want to do any harm. He was lost, hurt, and needed help. Jennie had been raised to help those in need no matter what.

She learned that he was from a planet called Cybertron, but anything more than that he couldn't remember. After some convincing, Nightstrike decided to stay with Jennie so she could perform the necessary repairs. But as soon as those were done, he would leave.

Through the months they created an odd friendship. Jennie would go to work during the day, then at night she would immediately start repairs on Nightstrike. As she worked she would talk about her family, or how her day went, or something that was particularly bothering her. In turn, Nightstrike would offer his advice. Sometimes he was just remain silent, enjoying the memories she wanted to share. He felt that if all humans were like Jennie he could grow to love Earth.

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Jennie was a month away from her 22nd birthday when tragedy struck. Her Uncle (also her Godfather) passed away in a tractor trailer accident. He had been driving the big rigs for as long as Jennie could remember, but she had never thought he'd lose his life in one. It hit Jennie hard. Her family was close, and losing him was like losing a second dad.

Sleepless nights plagued her. When she did sleep, she had nightmares. It went on like this for weeks until one night she made her way out to the garage where Nightstrike was parked. She was clad only in a long T-shirt and a blanket. She was worse for the wear with large bags under her dull eyes. Without having to say a word, Nightstrike opened his driver's side door. Jennie flew into the drivers seat, fresh tears sliding down her face. She slept soundly that night, and for three nights after until she could finally sleep in her own bed.

After that, Nightstrike made the decision to stay permanently. He viewed himself as Jennie's guardian, though he never told her that. On her 23rd birthday, He did something special for the human girl.

He got her a car.

It was the morning of Jennie's 23rd birthday and it couldn't be a more perfect one. It was already hot, making it an ideal day to take the drive with Nightstrike out to the lake. Jennie rolled out of bed and dressed as quickly as she could, not bothering to put make up on. She grabbed the bag and cooler she had packed the night before on her way out, bouncing down the steps.

Instead of a beat old Jeep pulling out of her garage to meet her, out came a sleek 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe in rust orange. Jennie was speechless. Nightstrike blasted happy birthday through the speakers and opened the driver's side door.

"How about that trip, love?" he said excitedly. Dumbfounded, Jennie dropped her bags.

"Strike, how did you do this?"

She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "A bit of Cybertronian technology I was saving for a rainy day. Do you like?"

"Like?" Jennie laughed picking up her things and putting them in the trunk. " I LOVE!" She jumped into the drivers seat and gently slid her hands over the steering wheel, the dash, the leather seats. "I don't know how to thank you."

Nightstrike gave a chuckle. "Don't. Happy birthday, love."

And with that he floored it, making Jennie squeal with excitement. They zoomed across the back roads, enjoying the rush and knowing they had nothing but time. Jennie had taken the week off from her busy work schedule to unwind and spend some time with her family out of state. But she had saved today for Nightstrike. He was an important part of her life, as she was his.

In record time they were at the lake. Jennie hopped out and pulled her bag and the cooler from the trunk, patting it lightly to signal Nightstrike that he was clear to transform into bipedal mode. They had picked a spot secluded enough for Nightstrike to roam freely without the worry of being spotted.

Nightstrike transformed quickly and stood to his full height, flexing and turning so Jennie could see the changes to his bipedal mode. She laughed at his antics and wolf whistled appreciatively. Just as she opened her mouth to make fun of him, the world exploded around her.

Men came from every direction. They were dressed militarily and carried weapons. Some came after Jennie, but most went for Nightstrike. She screamed and fought, not caring what happened to her. They were attacking Nightstrike! What had he done? From the back of the pack came four Cybertronians like Nightstrike. She could tell what they were planning to do.

"Don't hurt him!" She fought, punching the one soldier who tried to grab her arm. Mentally, she thanked her father for teaching her to throw a punch before running at the mechanical men. Something hit the back of her head, making her vision blur. The last thing she saw before her world went dark was a big black Cybertronian holding down Nightstrike as he reached for her.

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**There we go everyone! First chapter in the rewrite! I've already started on chapter two so hopefully we can keep this party rolling!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Two chapters in one day!? Can I get a hell yeah!?**

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**Spark Shock**

**Chapter 2**

**Awakening**

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Jennie was groggy when she woke. Her head swam as she sat up, making her moan. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, trying to get them to focus. It was then that she realized she was in handcuffs. She took in her surroundings slowly. She was in a small cell, with a metal door that gave little light through the tiny window at the top. Someone had thought enough to give her a blanket and a lumpy pillow, but other than that, no comforts were provided.

She stood on wobbly legs, as the memories flooded back.

Someone had kidnaped Nightstrike. Her eyes welled with tears as she paced the cell, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Apparently they needed her, too. Her eyes darted around the cell again. But why? Okay, so maybe hiding an alien car in her garage wasn't exactly "kosher" with the government. But how had they found out? They had to be behind this.

As if to answer her questions, the door slid open, flooding the cell with light. Jennie threw her arms up to shield her eyes.

Without a word, a big man grabbed her and began to pull her out of the cell. With a fleeting thought, Jennie noticed he was sporting a fat lip. He kept his eyes straight forward as he led her down a long hallway. They passed a series of checkpoints before the man dropped her in what looked like an interrogation room. Jennie had watched enough cop shows to see where this was going.

Before the door could click shut, a different man was sliding into the room. His dirty blonde hair was short cropped, his hazel eyes were trained on her. He wore an all black military uniform with the name Lennox and the rank of Lt. Colonel. Jennie raised her eyebrows.

What the hell does a Lt. Colonel want with me?

"Jennifer Byrne?" The commander asked, his tone flat.

"Jennie, please." Jennie said, placing her cuffed hands on the table. She gave a huff, deciding to be blunt. "What the hell am I doing here?"

Lennox just raised his eyebrows. "You're really not in a position to be asking questions, Jennie. You were harboring a national threat."

Jennie narrowed her eyes. "The hell I was! Nightstrike isn't dangerous! He's a bit of a pain in the ass, really, but he wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Your Nightstrike is what we call a Decepticon. They're bent on destroying the human race." As he spoke, Lennox placed pictures of countless battles in front of Jennie. Metal men like Nightstrike were engaging each other, and in the crossfire she could see humans. They all looked scared, and running from the ones with red eyes.

Like Nightstrike. She realized. With cuffed hands, she picked up a picture of what appeared to be Lennox along with three other people. They were running into an explosion, a GMC topkick and a custom Peterbilt at their backs.

"Strike wouldn't do this." She said again, her voice sounding weaker. "He's been with me for three years. If he wanted to hurt me, he could have done it already. Where is he?"

"Nightstrike is being detained and questioned by the Autobots." The radio on Lennox's hip crackled to life with a different voice, making Jennie jump. Lennox grabbed it quickly and spoke into it. "What's the download, Optimus?"

The voice Jennie had heard before came over the radio again. "Nightstrike refuses to speak until he sees the human girl." The voice was polite, but strained.

Lennox shot a look at Jennie, considering his words carefully. "Is he hostile?"

"No." This time the voice was different, slightly lower and sounded...grouchy. "He wants to make sure his femme is okay. After that I can make him talk."

"Easy, Ironhide." Lennox said with a grin. "I'll bring her right down."

Jennie bounced up as soon as Lennox touched her arm. "Don't try anything." He warned.

Jennie only shot him a look. "I'm all Nightstrike has. He needs me."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, going through a set of double doors that lead into a large hanger. All around her Jennie saw Cybertronians like Nightstrike. Instead of red eyes like his, all of their eyes were blue.

"These must be the Autobots." She mumbled in awe, earning a grunt from Lennox.

"Unhand her!" As they approached the back of the hanger she could hear Nightstrike's voice. He had never sounded so angry. The chains around his arms holding him to the wall were taught as he strained against them. His eyes were burning angrily as he looked between the Autobots.

"I thought you said he wasn't hostile!" Lennox yelled, tightening his grip on Jennie, making her yelp in pain. This made Nightstrike snarl like an animal.

"He wasn't until she came in." The stocky black Autobot grumbled.

"Take your hands off of her before I have to offline you all! You will NOT touch her!" Nightstrike was in a panic. They had Jennie. They could hurt Jennie. And if they wanted to there was nothing he could do. He should have been more careful, more observant of their surroundings. He had gotten sloppy.

Jennie had to think fast. Instead of struggling against Lennox, she looked at him with calm eyes. "He thinks you're going to hurt me. Let me talk to him."

"Absolutely not!" Lennox yelled. "I'm not handing you over to a raging war machine."

"Perhaps the girl is right." The tallest of the Autobots came forward. He had red and blue armor. Putting two and two together, Jennie realized that this must have been the Peterbilt in the picture.

Lennox gave a sigh, putting a hand on his head to rub his temples. He fished around in his pocket for the handcuff keys. "If you get smushed I don't want to hear it. And don't go running. Then we'd have to shoot you."

Jennie rubbed her wrists once she was freed, giving a nervous laugh. She walked toward Nightstrike with tears in her eyes, upset and confused about what had happened.

To the surprise of everyone, Nightstrike backed up until the chains were slack enough that he could crouch down. As soon as she was close enough, Jennie flung her arms around Nightstrike's faceplates. She kissed his nose, his cheeks, his forehead. He leaned into her touch pressing and awkward kiss to the side of her face. "I was so worried." He breathed, thankful to be close to her.

"I know. I was, too. What the hell is going on, 'Strike?" She ran a hand over the metal of his face, checking for any damage.

"I don't know." Suddenly, he felt the chains on his arms give. He looked into the eyes of Optimus Prime, who looked back with understanding. The love Nightstrike had for Jennie could not be false.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Nightstrike." The Prime said.

Nightstrike stood to his full height, pushing back his shoulders. "I will cooperate, Prime."

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**Okay, so I was planning on making you guys wait for this...but I couldn't hold it back any longer! I love this story so much.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! So I'm pumping out these chapters like crazy! Don't expect a chapter a day like you've been getting. Its going to be more like a chapter a week. Sideswipe explains Jennie and Nightstrike's relationship in this one a bit, as well as some Ironhide perspective. I know I haven't had much interaction between the two of them yet, but be patient! It's coming I promise. Also I've changed the rating up to M because eventually there will be some lemons. I'll give you guys plenty of warnings so if you don't want to read them you can just skip that chapter. **

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**Spark Shock**

**Chapter 3**

**Lockdown**

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Tense would be the closest thing to what the air in the briefing area felt like. Jennie looked from face to face, trying to read each one.

Optimus was the first one she looked to. His commanding presence and gentle, yet firm tone oozed respect. It was the kind of respect that was earned and deserved, not demanded. He cycled his air intakes before he started to speak. "Before time began, there was the Cube."

He spoke of an age old war between Autobots and Decepticons. A war that eventually destroyed his home planet. Out of the corner of her eye, Jennie saw Nightstrike sigh tiredly at the news. It was as if deep down in his spark he knew his home was forever lost, but a part of him was still hoping it had survived.

As Optimus continued his tale, Jennie looked to Lennox. He couldn't be much older than his mid 30's with battle hardened eyes. Flecks of grey could be seen in his hair, and slight crows feet were starting around his eyes. The war Optimus was speaking of must be taking a toll on him. It made Jennie's heart go out to the commander, even if he had arrested her.

Her line of sight continued off of the platform her and Lennox were standing on to the group of Autobots. The first one to catch her eye was Ironhide. He was quite a walking tank. The features of his face seemed to rest permanently in a scowl. He folded his arms over his hulking chest, going between glowering at Nightstrike and huffing to the side. Twice he looked Jennie's way, giving her a chance to study his face. His features were distinctly masculine, with a firm jaw and wide nose. It almost made him handsome. _If he'd stop scowling so much_. Jennie thought.

She turned to Nightstrike last. Ratchet was scanning him section by section, making minor adjustments here and there. When Jennie gave Nightstrike a questioning look, he shot her a quick grin. "Ratchet here is temporarily offlining my weapons system."

"A precaution." The medic stated. "Until we can be sure of your intent."

"Wait," Jennie held up a hand. "You have weapons?"

This made Lennox and Optimus share a look. "Of course he does." Ironhide all but growled, obviously unhappy about the recent chain of events.

"I didn't ask you." Jennie shot back, getting fed up with his childish behavior.

Nightstrike reached over with the arm that wasn't in Ratchet's grasp and gently ran his knuckles down Jennie's back. The strain of the day was starting to show, and he knew by looking at her that she had a headache. She was fighting fatigue, trying to look strong in front of strangers.

_My little warrior._ He thought affectionately.

Ironhide looked like he was going to explode with rage. With a nod to Optimus and a curt "Excuse me." he took his leave, storming out of the briefing area. He all but stomped outside where he found Sideswipe sitting on the side of the building, working on his armor. The black mech began to pace, mumbling in a mix of Cybertronian and English.

"You've known the femme for twenty minutes and already she's got you flustered." Sideswipe said without looking up from the scratch he was trying to buff out.

"Jennie." Ironhide said absently with a dismissive wave of his had, not stopping his pacing.

"And I am not flustered!" he bellowed at the silver mech, waving his hands almost comically. "Its just that Optimus sees one chance to 'prevent the unneeded loss of a cybertronian life' and he, oh what's that expression… rolls over like a trained pup." He started pacing again, "Should have offlined the fragger when I had the chance."

"Well you didn't," Sideswipe pointed at him with the polishing rag, "and who knows, maybe he _is_ different."

Ironhide grunted. "Well if sparkbonding with a human femme can do that-"

"Now wait a minute!" Sideswipe interrupted, rolling to his "feet."

"You think the Decepticon is mated with the femme?" Sideswipe laughed, shaking his head. "I don't even think that's possible. Even if it was, that's not what it looks like to me. They're bond is strong, but its not sparkbond. And the femme is not interested that way. Its obvious." Sideswipe began rolling away, calling out over his shoulder, "You old mechs only see in black and white."

Ironhide just gave a grumble and walked toward the range. Maybe blowing something up could change his mood.

* * *

Back inside Jennie was rubbing her temples, trying to keep her short temper in check.

"Let me get this straight." She said, annoyed. "I can't go home."

Lennox looked between Jennie and Nightstrike. "We need to keep Nightstrike here on probation. Unfortunately, that means you stay, too."

"If we were able to locate Nighstrike, than so can the Decepticons." Optimus cut in, willing the young woman to understand. "If they can find him, they can find you. They will not hesitate to kill you. Keeping you with your guardian is as safe as we can make you."

"What will you tell my family?" Jennie was all but panicked. "What about my job? I have a life! I can't just go leaving it."

"Your family will be informed that you are under military protection until further notice." Lennox could understand where Jennie was coming from. He could never leave his family out of the blue. It would kill him. "Your job will be there when we get the all clear to let you go home."

"I think its a good idea for you to stay, love." Nightstrike said, agreeing with the leaders. "I don't like you being to far off."

Jennie gave an exasperated sigh, clearly defeated. "Guess I don't have a choice. We can talk about what sort of work I can do on base in the morning. I can't just sit around all day!" She shot a look at Lennox when he opened his mouth to protest.

"Fine." The Lt. Colonel was just as tired as Jennie. He looked to Optimus. "Do you have anyone willing to do a night watch?"

Optimus was quiet for a moment, considering. "Ironhide will take the first night." He said at length, sending a COM link to the weapons specialist.

"Isn't that the one with the bad attitude?" Jennie asked, irked that Nightstrike couldn't stay with her the night.

"Ironhide is one of my oldest and most trusted friends." Optimus said in defense. "He is a bit gruff, but means nothing by it."

"Then its settled." Lennox looked relieved to end the night. "Ironhide will take you to where you'll be staying. Nighstrike will stay here with a 24 hour watch."

Jennie let out a sigh as the big black mech walked through the bay doors. _Some birthday I've had._

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**Yay for chapter 3 being done! I'm loving all the reviews and favorites and follows. They so make my day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so sorry everyone for how long this has taken to post! I recently went through a difficult breakup and was in the process of moving back home. It's kind of hard to write when so much was going on. I will try and stay on top of writing for you all because you make my day so much better. This chapter isn't that great, but at least it's something. **

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**Spark Shock**

**Chapter 4**

**A New Home**

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The ride across base to where Jennie would be staying was a quiet one. Jennie was thankful for that. The sun was beginning to set and Jennie felt like if she stayed on her feet much longer she would pass out. Gently, she laid her head against the seat, letting out a long sigh. The radio crackled to life with Ironhide's voice.

"Are you well?"

Jennie gave a huff and adjusted her bun, tucking stray curls. "Oh just dandy! I've had my life turned upside down! My car who also happens to be my closest friend is in prison, I can't go to work, or see my family. And apparently I'm in danger from a faction of evil aliens that I had NO idea existed!" She furiously wiped a stray tear. I should just be on my period with how emotional I've been today. She thought.

"You're leaking!" Ironhide sounded genuinely concerned. "Should I call a medic?"

For the first time since the morning, Jennie laughed. "I'm fine. Its called crying. Humans do it when they're sad."

Ironhide grunted in understanding, almost feeling sorry for the human girl. She had gone through a lot in a very short time. For him, it was easy to forget how fragile humans could be. He chose his next words carefully. "Do you truly believe Nightstrike to be innocent?"

"He has nothing to be innocent about." Jennie stated matter-of-factly. "Up until today I've never seen him angry. There's no way he could be a Decepticon."

"But he is." Ironhide said, glad to hear the girl talking instead of snapping at him. "Faction is choice. You said that his memory files had been corrupted?" He waited for Jennie to give a nod of confirmation before continuing. "Have you thought that maybe he WAS a terror-bringing Decepticon before he came to you?"

"The thought crossed my mind." Jennie mumbled. "But he's good now! Can't he just become an Autobot or something?"

"That will be for Optimus to decide." Ironhide pulled up to a building that resembled an apartment complex. "This is where you willl be staying."

"Thanks." Jennie looked apprehensive.

"Is there a problem?" Ironhide popped open his passenger side door, hoping the girl would leave with little coaxing. He felt odd being so close to a human femme.

Jennie gave a sigh, sliding out and walking around to the grill. "You'll be here all night, right? In case I need you?"

Ironhide wanted to protest. He wanted to say no. He wanted to grumble about how he wasn't some human babysitter or some pet that came whenever it was called. He wanted to make her feel bad for helping a Decepticon. So many things ran through his mind at that moment, but he looked into her eyes. It pulled at him, deep down in his spark. Those human eyes pulled at him from a place that hadn't been active since before the war. It worried him.

"I will be here all night." His words came out sharper than he meant. "If you need me." He added, gentler. This made Jennie smile. Tiredly, she patted the hood before going inside.

She followed the instructions on the paper Lennox had given her and climbed 3 flights of stairs up. At the landing she took a left, then counted 6 doors down on the right hand side. She slid the electronic key through the lock quickly and was granted with the little green light saying it had been accepted. The room she had been given was more like it belonged in a hotel, not on a military base. The full size bed that was provided took up much of the floor plan with a television sitting on a dresser against the wall opposite the bed. The bathroom was nothing fancy, there was just enough room for the shower/tub combo, toilet and sink. On the back of the door hung a full length mirror, which made Jennie wince at her reflection.

She was a mess. There were heavy bags under her eyes and most of her hair had fallen out of the messy bun she had put it in. She was still clad in her shorts and bikini with a baggy t-shirt over it. It was then that she realized she had no clothes for the following day, no makeup, and no hair products to tame her wild curls. Jennie was not vain by nature, but she was a women. Her appearance mattered to her.

Three quick knocks at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She was still pushing curls into her bun as she pulled the door open. She was met by a man in his late 30s. He was a bear of a man, standing at 5'9" of pure muscle. She could see it ripple under the brown t-shirt he wore. His legs were clad in forest theme BDUs and black combat boots. Her eyes travled back to his face. His eyes were a stunning blue, so bright they almost glowed. His dark hair was cropped short. He was carrying a handful of plastic grocery bags.

"Can I help you?" Jennie's short temper was at its end.

The man raised his eyebrows and held up the bags. "I forgot to give you these."

Jennie looked like a fish as her mouth opened and closed uselessly. She had heard that voice before. Coming from the geology of a Topkick.

"The Decepticon notified us that you were without provisions." The man continued. "Lennox and Optimus had some of the female soldiers put some supplies together for you."

"You...Lennox...Optimus…" Jennie

put two fingers to her temple and rubbed, trying to get her thoughts in order. "Ironhide?"

Ironhide nodded, watching Jennie with bright blue eyes.

"But you're human."

"No. I am still Cybertronian. I am using a holoform to communicate with you."He gave a snort. "I do not think my bipedal mode would fit in this room."

"Holoform." Jennie repeated the term. It sounded foreign on her tongue.

"A program." Ironhide clarified. "Ratchet would be the one to explain. In simple terms, it is a false body that we can create."

"What about your real body?" Jennie asked.

"We can alter where most of our consciousness is."

Jennie just nodded dumbly and Ironhide walked past her and placed the bags on her bed. She poked through them and found that they contained clothes, sanitary supplies, and makeup.

Oh women DID help pack the bags! She thought happily when she came across foundation the same shade as her skin.

Jennie was great full. So unbelievably great full. She had gone from a suspect to a refugee in such a short time. And the N.E.S.T. team had welcomed protecting her with open arms.

All except one. Jennie turned to look at Ironhide, who dwarfed the room around him.

"You don't like me, do you?" Her voice was quiet.

Ironhide's glowing eyes shot to meet hers, looking surprised at how direct she was. "I don't trust you." He said simply.

Jennie let out a breath. "Feelings mutual. But I guess for people like us, trust is earned over time."

Ironhide gave a slow nod and took his leave, saying in parting, "I will be outside if you need me."

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**Well, there ya go guys! Again, I'll try and post as often as possible now that things are settling down. **

**Xoxo all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! So I went back and watched the Bayverse Transformers movies and realized that many fic writers portray Ironhide as this very standoff-ish old mech. AND HE'S NOT. He's older, yes, but not a grouchy old man. He's very cocky, which isn't something I've seen anyone play on. I'm going to TRY and work with it, because I like this idea of 'Hide being a middle aged, war hardened cocky bastard. Let me know what you think going forward! And I apologize for the hiatus! I'm hoping this new direction will help kickstart me. Reviews always help me! I write for you!**

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**Spark Shock**

**Chapter 5**

**Start a Fire**

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Sunlight leaked through the curtains onto Jennie's face, waking her with its warmth. She stretched lazily before sitting up and brushing the mess that was her hair out of her eyes.

Then reality set in. Memories of the last 24 hours came flooding back in one giant wave, making Jennie choke back a gasp. No. She would NOT be weak today. Today she would put on a front for Nightstrike.

She threw the covers off with new found determination and padded to the bathroom, turning the shower on full blast. _At least the water pressure's good._ She thought as she stripped and stepped into the steaming spray, letting it run through her tangled hair and onto her face. She hummed a nonsense tune while she applied mango scented shampoo, getting lost in her thoughts. Today she would meet with Lt. Colonel Lennox to convince him she could be of use somehow. A good work ethic was something her parents instilled at a young age.

Her parents. Jennie's heart wrenched slightly at the thought of them as she rinsed the shampoo and traded it for its equally lovely smelling conditioner. She massaged her scalp absently, thinking of what her mother would say right now. Jennie's Irish/Italian family was very close and she missed them already. _This is to protect them just as much as me._ If the Decepticons could find her, they could find her family. That was a risk Jennie was NOT willing to take.

A knock at her door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Jennie? Are you awake?" It was Ironhide. Jennie rolled her eyes before calling back. "I'm in the shower, Ironhide. I'll be out in a few minutes to open the..." her sentence trailed off when she heard the click of her door.

"I guess you have a key." She mumbled, scrubbing her face with a bar of soap. She splashed her face a few times before moving to her body. She scrubbed and rinsed quickly and shut the water off, wrapping a towel around her body and opening the bathroom door. Ironhide's holoform was sitting on the edge of the bed, legs spread apart with his forearms leaning on them and hands loosely folded. His head was down, but snapped up to pin intense blue eyes on Jennie.

_Primus_. He thought, eyes raking over the human feme. She was so small. Sure she was stocky, with thick thighs and a bit extra around the middle. But she looked like a feme who could handle herself, especially with the look in her hazel eyes. At first it was shock, and the breathy gasp that escaped her full lips made the engine in the Topkick rev. Then it turned to annoyance as he continued to stare.

"What?" She demanded as she wrang out her curls. The tone of her voice would send any human man scurrying away. It took everything Ironhide had not to grin. "I was sent to retrieve you." He said, trying to keep his voice deadpan.

Jennie sighed with annoyance and began to scurry around the room, grabbing clothes from the dresser and the bag of makeup next to the T.V. "Are you just going to sit there while I get changed?" She snapped at him without looking.

This time Ironhide did grin, knowing it would agitate her. He leaned back on his elbows. "Yes."

Jennie gave a growl and slammed the bathroom door. She dropped the towel and pulled on a matching bra and panty set in mint green. It fit like a glove and could only assume it was because of Nightstrike. _Leave it to 'Strike to know my damn measurements. _She thought with a grin. Over that she pulled a pair of blue jeans and a simple grey t-shirt with ARMY across it in black letters. She reopened the bathroom door and shook out her hair without looking at Ironhide. Jennie would refuse to admit that he attracted her.

_NO._ She thought, _The holoform attracts me. That's not really him._ She would have to keep reminding herself that the walking, talking, Adonis wanna-be wasn't really Ironhide. Jennie began to apply foundation when she noticed Ironhide was staring at her again. It wasn't like how a man stares at a woman, but like a child watching something for the first time. Then it dawned on her.

"Ironhide, you've never seen a human woman get ready for the day."

Ironhide sat up straight, putting on the mask she had seen him wear the night before. "I have had interactions with human femmes before. There are some in the NEST unit."

Jennie smiled and buffed powder onto her face, knowing that the older mech was embarrassed for getting caught with his guard down. It wasn't until Jennie was just finishing up brushing mascara to her eyelashes that Ironhide sighed.

"Such a process." He grumbled, making Jennie laugh.

"Be careful Ironhide, you're starting to sound like human men." She squirted some toothpaste onto a toothbrush and motioned with it to the door. "I'll be done in a minute if you want to head out."

He stood with a nod and the holoform disappeared in a flurry of sparks. Jennie starred in wonder, the toothbrush halfway to her mouth. "I've got to ask Ratchet how that thing works."

* * *

**I know its so short! But it was just to get SOMETHING to you guys with this (hopefully) new direction. Plus its a bit of fluffiness between Ironhide and Jemmie. ****I've got some great ideas...its just getting to them. Until next time, my loves!**


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